EMMY HEADLINES
At $50,000 a Pop, Who’s Really Winning the FYC Party Arms Race?
Content execs keep the pricey, elaborate events coming as the TV Academy enables (and profits from) the madness. So what’s the TV Academy’s take on this blatantly transactional activity? As it turns out, the organization not only allows it but is intricately involved. (THR)
‘Jessica Jones’ Director & Other Female Directors Open Up About Current State of Diversity in TV
“There’s no doubt that the entire media industry is suffering from not representing the diversity of society,” says Susanne Bier, director of The Night Manager for AMC. “It’s also suffering from a slightly conventional way of thinking about projects, because yes, in general, female directors get to do a certain kind of material.” (VAR)
OTHER HEADLINES
George Clooney & Grant Heslov Producing ‘America’s Most Admired Lawbreaker’ With First Look Deal at Sonar
George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s indie production company Smokehouse Pictures is continuing its push into television, inking a first-look deal with Sonar Entertainment. Their first project is America’s Most Admired Lawbreaker, based on the serialized Huffington Post article by journalist Steven Brill. (DL)
‘Orphan Black’ Will Stop the Cloning Process with Fifth and Final Season
Cult sensation Orphan Black has been renewed for a fifth – and final – season. That’s right: The BBC America thriller starring Tatiana Maslany will end with season 5. (EW)
Bradley Cooper to Produce ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ Special to Benefit Non-Profit that has Raised Over $370 Million
Bradley Cooper is on board to exec produce the latest “Stand Up to Cancer” primetime fundraising special, set to air Sept. 9 as a roadblock across more than two dozen networks. The hourlong special featuring an array of celebrities and musical performances will air live from the downtown Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall. (VAR)
Netflix Signs Up for ‘Skylanders Academy’- the First Animated Series Out of Activision Blizzard Studios
Netflix announced today that Skylanders Academy, based on the bestselling console game, has been picked up for a pair of 13-episode seasons. Featured voices on the good-versus-evil animated show include actor Justin Long as the game’s lovable purple dragon Spyro and actress Ashley Tisdale as crafty, tree-hugging Stealth Elf. (LAT)
Promotions Abound at Emmett/Furla/Oasis with Tim Sullivan Upped to President of Production and Development
Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films has made a series of promotions, elevating Tim Sullivan to President of Production and Development, Alex Eckert to Creative Executive, and Tony Callie to Chief Operating Officer. (DL)
Studio Series: Disney is Shattering Records Thanks to Marvel, Lucasfilm and Pixar, But Can it Continue?
Last year Disney had the second best year of any studio in cinematic history, it just happened to do so the same year that Universal went bananas. This is Part Two of a series analyzing the current state of the studios. (TB)
Looking for the Next Hit Film? Try Leveraging Metadata & Twitter
“The million-dollar question is whether you can build a plot around [metadata],” said James Sullivan, managing director of research at JPMorgan Chase. “Ultimately, I think the answer will be ‘yes,’ but it’s an incredibly controversial conversation. There have been clear creative concerns expressed to me, particularly by screenwriters.” (AA)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Chronically Metropolitan’
The film stars Mary-Louise Parker, Chris Noth and Ashley Benson. It’s about a promising young author who returns to the city unannounced to reunite with his ex-girlfriend, make peace with his estranged parents and conquer his writer’s block. (DL)